This invention relates to an improved method and means for injecting fluids into meat products.
The processing of meat products often involves the injection of a brine fluid therein to aid the curing of the meat product.
Prior devices for injecting fluids into meat include a plurality of needles mounted upon a vertically reciprocating head. A conveyor moves the meat below the needles, and stops the movement of the meat. The needles then move downwardly to penetrate the meat. While they penetrate the meat they inject fluid into the meat and then are withdrawn. The meat is then conveyed further and the process is repeated.
Certain problems have occurred in prior art devices. One problem pertains to the intermittent movement of the meat. The starting and stopping of the conveyor for moving the meat slows the injection process and further requires additional equipment for sensing the position of the meat and for timing the intermittent movement of the conveyor carrying the meat.
Variations in the uniformity of the distribution of the fluid throughout the meat product creates a further problem in existing meat injection methods. These variations are created in large measure by the character of the meat product itself because the fluid easily migrates through the lean meat but not through the fat portions.
Another problem is encountered with prior art devices in properly metering the amount of liquid or fluid which is injected into the meat. Often the amount of fluid is greater than the amount needed, resulting in spillage and overflow, thereby making it more difficult to maintain sanitary standards. Such excess fluid also detracts from the appearance of the meat product.
Another problem encountered with the metering of the fluid is the difficulty in providing the proper amount of fluid when the thickness of the meat varies. Thicker portions of meat require a greater amount of fluid to be injected, whereas thinner portions of meat require a lesser amount. Similarly, when the needles strike bones or other impenetrable objects in the meat, they do not penetrate fully, and the present metering devices do not satisfactorily accommodate these varying depths of penetration.
Difficulty is also encountered with present devices in avoiding breakage of the needles when the needles strike bone or other hard matter in the meat. The breakage of needles can shut down the processing operation and thereby be detrimental to the efficiency of the operation.